Parallel
by DarkSilverHawk
Summary: There are always more worlds to explore. Each decision creates a new world parallel to our own, where anything could happen. Drabble series. Number four: The Princess of the Swans finds a friend in a princess of another sort...
1. Princess Tutu

**A/N: I'm jumping on the bandwagon here and writing KH drabbles the involve other worlds than Disney ones. As far as what those worlds will be? You'll just have to read and find out! **

**They will** **be 200-400 word drabbles, updated as I write them. Hopefully, this will be fairly often. Some will be serious, some funny. I take requests, too. So let me know somehow if you want to see a book/movie/anime/game featured, and if I've read/watched/played it, I'll write something for you!**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Princess Tutu.**

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**Stories**

"The only bad thing about stories is that when they end, the only thing left for you to do is to go back to the beginning and read them all over again."

Sora gawked at the strange man that had suddenly appeared in front of him. Everything around him had stopped when the dark haze had descended. Riku, who had been chatting with him only a moment before, was frozen perfectly still, mouth open as if he was in the middle of a word. Only he and this man seemed to be able to move.

"And then when you go to read them again, you know how it ends! Where's the fun in that?"

Sora thought he look a bit like a box of crayons had exploded over a haphazard mixture of cloth, feathers, and man.

"Do you like stories?"

"Y-yes, I do."

"Do you like stories with happy endings?"

"Yes."

"But do you know what the best stories are?"

"No, what are you-"

"The ones that never end!" Sora felt himself slipping back into a sea of darkness. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying beside a strange pond, staring into the eyes of a duck.

"Qua?"


	2. Okami

**I don't own Okami.**

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Riku looked down at the large white dog in front of him. The dog, in response, wagged its tail. He kneeled down to pet it (Her? It did look kind of feminine) and brushed away a tiny bug resting on her snout.

Kairi was delighted when she saw the dog, "Oh! You found a puppy, Riku!"

Riku was about to point out that the dog was obviously no longer a puppy when he heard an unknown voice.

"Excuse me!"

Riku looked around for the source of it, but couldn't see anything. He shrugged and had turned back to Kairi when the bug suddenly leaped off the ground and back onto the dog's nose.

"Some people are so rude!" Riku realized that the voice was coming from the tiny bug.

Riku looked at it for a moment, "What are you? Some kind of strange heartless?"

"Of course not!" The bug looked as insulted as it was possible for something the size of your thumb to get, "I am the great Issun, the wandering artist! And this here is Ammy."

Kairi giggled, "Nice to meet you, Ammy! I'm Kairi, and this is Riku!" Amaterasu licked her face in response.

"And we're leaving." Riku didn't like this "Issun" very much, and promptly decided the less time spent with him the better.

"But the puppy, Riku! Can't I play with her a little longer?" Kairi put on her best pout, but Riku had already started walking away, and his back was turned.

Kairi looked at Amaterasu sadly, then got an idea. She whispered something in Ammy's ear, and stood up. "Bye, then."

Riku heard Kairi walking behind him, but something was off. He turned around, but didn't see anything besides Kairi sulking and the white dog off in the distance. He didn't look back again until they were back on the Gummy Ship where Sora was waiting.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Get wha-" Riku turned around to see the white dog standing beside Kairi. He looked back up at Kairi for an explanation.

She was beaming, "She followed me home. Can I keep it?"


	3. Acorna

**Don't own Acorna, either.**

**--**

Acorna looked at the creature that had appeared in the laboratory. It wasn't like any creature she had ever seen, and it didn't look like anything anyone remembered from the old Vhiliinyar.

(Maati? Maati!)

(What's wrong?)

(Maati, there are these… things. I don't know what they are or where they came from. They might have gotten through using the time device. Please... just come here.)

(Alright, Khornya. I'm on my way.)

While they were thought-talking, the first thing moved closer, and another appeared. She couldn't explain why, but looking at these them suddenly filled her with dread. They weren't Khleevi, but something just as evil and sinister.

Acorna pushed herself against the wall as the things edged closer. There weren't weapons around, of course. Even if there were, most of the pacifistic Linyaari wouldn't be able to use them.

Acorna had run out of room to back up when Maati appeared in the doorway. (Khornya! Are you ok? Ugh… what are those things?)

Acorna barely had time to yell a warning before the things jumped at her.

"Maati… RUN!"


	4. Swan Lake

They watched in horror from the window. Siegfried had seen Odette. The look of confusion on his face told them everything they needed to know. Odile stood at her father's side, proud of the service she'd done for the sorcerer.

They'd met at the lake, and Odette had told Kairi her sorrowful story, and of the man who could break the curse. He told her of the sorcerer's planned trickery, and begged for help. Kairi had run all the way here, with Odette close behind.

Odette looked so sad now… Kairi embraced her, and the two wept silently for a few moments, as if they had been friends for years. Few who saw them would have guessed they had known each other only a few hours. Then she slowly stood up, and began walking back towards the lake. When the great door to the hall opened behind her, Odette began running. They got there before Siegfried, and some of the swan maidens cooed and fussed over Odette, while the rest kept Siegfried away from her. She and Kairi sat on the shore, silently looking out over the water, unsure of what to do.

When Siegfried finally reached them, Odette suddenly knew. Kairi could only watch, frozen to the spot, as her friend plunged in to the lake. She wanted to save them. But something in the back of her head told her that this was right. Saving them wouldn't help anyone.

Dawn broke. The other swan maidens looked at the light bouncing off their skin. They looked up at the sun, and realized that this sacrifice had freed them. They danced and rejoiced, as Kairi wept for her friend. Silently, she left the celebrating swans-no-more. As she did, she silently vowed never to forget that sorrowful look in Odette's eyes.


End file.
